


Eye for an Eye

by unimooseaday



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M, Magic Revealed, Reveal Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-23
Updated: 2014-03-23
Packaged: 2018-01-16 18:20:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1357315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unimooseaday/pseuds/unimooseaday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While running from slave traders Arthur stumbles across a sorcerer whose not all that bad. While Merlin gets in way over his head with a band of druids. When there paths cross again it may just lead to something surprising.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Eye for an Eye

Merlin sighed, why did they even go hunting. Not only did it result in the murder of innocent animals it always ended poorly. But alas here they were in the middle of the Forrest no horses, no game, and no packs. All they had was the clothes on their back and Arthur's sword. That's not all because, as always, they were running.

The two had foolishly entered a cave when it began to rain and they came to the realization that there was no way to get back to Camelot before nightfall. To bad someone else had the idea first. A band of slave traders had already made camp there. Nether prince nor servant realized this until they had already set up camp and night had fallen.

And back to the running. In the dark, through a Forrest. "Merlin you idiot! Why did you sett up there!" Not having the breath to respond Merlin stayed silent. Then Arthur heard a splash, turning around he no longer saw his manservant but instead an angry band of slave traders running after him. Not knowing what to do Arthur stood in shock for a moment until a figure erupted from the trees. Thinking it was Merlin, Arthur grabbed his arm and pulled only realizing his mistake when the figure held up his hand and said something in the language of the old religion pushing the slave traders back.

One problem down two to go, where was Merlin and the blatant magic just used before his eyes? "What have you done to my manservant you sorcerer!"

"What no thanks! No just look over the fact that I just saved your royal ass Princess. And I would do nothing to this Manservant of yours why would I"

"He is a servant of Camelot, you're a sorcerer, therefore you hate us and wish all of us ill!"

"Oh don't be so daft just because your an prat doesn't make me one! If I hated you just as much as you hate me we would all have issues. As they say an eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind! I know this is a bit hard for you to understand but not everyone who practices magic wants you dead. Now our lovely friends over there are waking up so how about we run?"

See more running. They eventually found a hiding spot under the roots of a fallen tree on the bank of a river. "So princess am I getting crisped?" Arthur honestly didn't know.


	2. In the Eyes of an Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Arthur stuck with a mysterious good doing sorcerer, and Merlin gods knows where what could go wrong?

Merlin honestly wondered why on earth he even bothered. In the end he always ended up, stabbed, shot, burnt, jailed, accused of sorcery, or fired. But he still followed around the royal prat and kept that narcissistic ass safe.   
Nasty thoughts came out when Merlin got lost. And that's what he was, lost. Not like he has spent almost the last ten years in these woods or anything. Added onto his worry for himself he had no idea how Arthur was doing. Last they saw each other they were running from bandits and it did not look good. Merlin had felt the use of magic, though he was unsure of whether it was intended for good or bad. If it was the bandits who possessed the sorcerer than Arthur was ether dead or on his way to it. But the magic had felt familiar, though he could not place where from. So Merlin continued to run, not knowing if he was going to Arthur or Camelot. Just running.   
Then he tripped, again

“This is garbage, who taught you how to cook!” Arthur exclaimed, spitting his bite of soup on the forest floor. “Oh yea don't thank me for saving you, than giving you a mat to sleep on, and then cooking for you. Just go on and complain like a spoiled baby.” The sorcerer retorted. Arthur tufted “I am the king of Camelot and you are a sorcerer, thus there is no reason for me to show you respect.” The newcomer rolled his eyes. “Shut up or I may actually turn you into a baby. Name is Caro by the way. And I am a druid, you know the ones you swore were your friends.”   
“Not the magic users” Caro huffed. Leaning over to grab some more soup a necklace slipped out from underneath Arthur’s shirt. Caro immediately lunged forward to grab it, invading Arthur’s personal space to a degree that he was sure even Merlin would be uncomfortable with. “Where did you get this!” he exclaimed. Arthur was to shaken up to reply so Caro asked again, this time louder and with a tug, pulling Arthur up into a standing position. “Get your hands of me this instant” Arthur finally responded. “My manservant gave it to me last birthday. It is not very expensive, or tasteful for that matter, but he asked that I were it.”  
Expecting some kind of attack Arthur was surprised when Caro started to laugh. It scared Arthur that laugh. It was a mix between relief, happiness, and downright crazy. “Why does it matter. It is just a cheap trinket” But Caro was still laughing. Though that laughter was slowly turning into sobbing. Now that he was still Arthur finally got a good look at the man. He was about Arthur’s age maybe a bit older. Dark hair and a pale complexion. Arthur had noticed before that his eyed were a pale shade of green, when magic was not corrupting them into gold.  
Arthur had never been good at consoling the sad. When they were younger and Morgana would cry he would simply ask her to spar. It rarely worked, and he doubted that asking a man he had threaten to burn alive to spar would end well. Merlin was better at this. Whenever they found lost children or women in the woods it was always Merlin who calmed then down and made them fell safe. Arthur was the muscle behind the operation. So were was he?

Tripping into lakes apparently. Looking up Merlin notices that he probably should have seen the giant whole in the ground before he got there. Then another ten seconds to realize that he is not in a lake but a trap. A whole in the ground devised to trap passing animals. Merlin hated it in that hole. By the time people came to rescue him he was half asleep.   
When he woke back up Merlin realized that he was in a tent. A tent that smelled really good and nothing like the tents Arthur used when on a larger trip. Looking around he saw herbs and various charms hanging of the walls, as well as two young children sitting in the corner grinding up something in a large pot. He let out a creaky “Hello?” and the girl screamed. This was going to be a fun day. 

After the sobbing stopped Caro moved over to the fire and ate the rest of the soup. Right out of the pot. In his years he never knew anyone else who did that. Besides Merlin who claimed it was to save himself from cleaning another bowl. That was not the only similarity bettween the two. The use of prat, the utter disrespect for his position, the snarky attitude, the pots, and there desire to save people. Mix that with the fact that Caro apparently recognized the necklace Merlin had given him Arthur was beginning to form a hunch. “Did you grow up anywhere near Ealdor? My manservant was raised there and you two are very similar.” The druid looked up from his soup “No. We moved around so we were only in Ealdor sometimes. But I think I know your manservant. Is it Will? Because I can't imagine him, as he would say, skiving for some prince. Unless...you bastard! I am going to run you through, king or not! Though I wouldn’t want to take that away from Will!” Then he pounced, Arthur only had a few seconds to pull out his sword before Caro was on him. Tears and leafs flying in every direction. Arthur had no idea what he had done, but defeated Caro in under a minuet. Arthur’s sword was positioned at his stomach ready to run him through as Caro had threatened to do to him. But something stopped him. Maybe it was the tiny voice in the back of his mind, that sounded suspiciously like Merlin, telling him not to. Or maybe it was the fact that he had a sorcery pinned down, with no plan of escaping him. Maybe it was the tears, the steady flow of tears that only came from a man who was truly in pain. Maybe it was his words. His horse voice raw from the screaming and crying shouting up from the ground. “Just do it. Kill me. Isn’t that what you do to sorceress. That’s what you did to him. He was so innocent, so kind. He was the reason I saved you! Because I knew that even though he was dead he would want everyone else to live and see there life bloom! But you were the bastard that took it from him! His life his chance to have kids and a wife to be happy!” He said more but Arthur heard none of it. He was thinking of all the men and women he had burnt or seen burnt. How many of them had someone like this backing them up, fighting for them who would be so broken when they died. And he thought of Merlin. Who would more than anything stand up for anyone who was going to be excuted. Even if they were guilty. Because he said everyone deserved a fair trial.   
Arthur pulled the sword back. “Maybe I know someone like that to. Some one who wanted everyone to be happy.” Caro looked up at him with his puffy eyes and darkened expression. “What was his name” Arthur asked after he had helped Caro to his feet “The sorcerer who I killed” After a sniffle Caro answered, in a whisper so quiet Arthur thought he was hearing itwrong at first. But there was no mistaking that the name that left Caro's mouth was one very familiar to Arhtur. “Merlin”


End file.
